Case against man in O’Charley’s shooting incident heads to grand jury

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – New details emerged Wednesday during a preliminary hearing in Warren District Court about the Friday night shootings at O’Charley’s. The case against the only person charged in the incident will now head to a grand jury.

Two people died following the shooting Friday night outside of O’Charley’s.

Initially a Bowling Green police officer heard the shots fired and called it in, according to court testimony given Wednesday by Bowling Green Police Detective Eric Stroud.

Upon arrival, officers found Elijsha Taylor, 21, and Michael Russell, 40, both of Bowling Green, with gunshot wounds. Taylor was pronounced deceased at the scene, and Russell was taken to an area hospital where he later died, Bowling Green Police Department spokesman Officer Ronnie Ward said.

The initial shooting Friday night stemmed from an old robbery, according to court testimony Wednesday from Bowling Green Police Detective Eric Stroud. The robbery was never reported to police.

During the investigation, detectives determined Taylor and Russell were in a physical altercation and Taylor shot Russell, according to a release from the police department.

After seeing Taylor shoot Russell, Terry Stice II, 44, is accused of firing numerous rounds at Taylor, striking and killing him, according to the release. Another involved party then struck Stice with a vehicle and drove away.

Stice fired more rounds at the vehicle as it was attempting to exit the parking lot, according to the release. Stice is charged two counts of attempted murder and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

“Mr. Stice was located on Jan. 25 and interviewed,” Stroud said in court. “In this interview he confirmed that he did see Michael get shot by Taylor so he began shooting at Taylor, and then he did confirm the other events about getting hit with the vehicle and then firing upon the vehicle as it was fleeing away from him.”

The gun Mr. Taylor used was located next to his right hand. Stice initially told police he had the gun he used in a field and he later said the gun was put up and away and declined to tell police where the gun was, Stroud said.

A Warren District Court judge found probable cause to send the case against Stice to an upcoming Warren County grand jury.

Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney Chris Cohron said the case against Stice will be presented to a grand jury within the next 30 days.

Stice is being held in the Warren County Regional Jail on a $1 million bond.

In an afternoon interview following the court hearing, Ward said the incident began when a woman inside of O’Charley’s recognized a man who she encountered in 2018.

Ward was referencing the robbery that Stroud testified to in court earlier Wednesday.

That woman, Paige Russell called her father, Michael Russell to the restaurant where an argument occurred between Paige Russell and a man named Nick Robey. Paige Russell and Nick Robey are not charged with any crime in this incident.

Robey called Taylor for help. Paige called Stice to help her father.

Robey left the business and went outside where Michael Russell physically fought with him. Taylor pulled up in his car as that fight was occurring, got out and started also fighting with Michael Russell who punched Taylor.

Taylor then pulled a gun and shot Russell, Ward said. At some point during the altercation outside, Stice arrived and police said he shot Taylor because he saw Taylor shoot Russell.

Police are continuing their investigation into this incident.